We recently went camping at a beautiful campground in British Columbia and I made sure to plan dinners that would be satisfying and simple. I didn’t want to use too many dishes because I knew they would all be laboriously washed by hand using water that I had to heat myself. I also wanted to make sure I had all the time I wanted for exploring our beautiful surroundings. And, I knew that I had limited space with which to work. Our minivan, even with the rooftop box in place, does not accommodate extra stuff on camping trips!
One of the dinners that I planned were these chicken teriyaki skewers with vegetables and rice. I utilized pre-cooked chicken (which was also a great option for limiting potential spoilage in our cooler) and pre-cooked rice that I purchased in shelf-stable packets. I made the pseudo-teriyaki sauce before we left home and so the only thing left to do at the campsite was to slice the vegetables, roast them, reheat the rice, and baste the chicken with the teriyaki sauce. It all came together in a delicious, low effort dinner.
You could make several modifications to make this at home, some of which could make it take longer to complete, but this is the recipe I used for my campout. I’d love to hear about some of your favorite recipes in the comments!
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (use gluten free if necessary
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 large red onion
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- A sprinkle of salt
- 1 package seasoned and cooked chicken skewers (I found these at Costco in the meat section)
- 3 packages shelf-stable cooked rice
Combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for about a minute or until the mixture thickens slightly and the sugar is dissolved.
Cut the pepper and onion into ½-inch thick slices.
Reheat the rice according to package instructions.
Preheat your pan (I used a large grill pan) over medium heat until it feels hot when you place your had a couple of inches above the pan. Add the sliced vegetables and drizzle them with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and cook for a couple of minutes. You want them to be softening before you add the chicken.
Place the chicken skewers on the grill and drizzle the teriyaki sauce on them. Cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is warmed through the sauce begins to caramelize on the chicken. Serve chicken and vegetables with the rice!
